Forgotten Dreams of a Forgotten Girl
by Lady Arachnia
Summary: Jessica Diggory has an amazing brother and best friend, but something is slowly erasing her. Can a cure be found before she is lost forever, or does Fate have other plans for the talented Hufflepuff? Mild VKxOC
1. In His Shadow

"It's about time, Son

"It's about time, Son!" Came Amos Diggory's excited voice from below.

Jessica and her twin, Cedric, peered out of the tree to see who their father was greeting. The Weasley's were just arriving at the meeting place. Mr. Weasley was just introducing their father to his children and Harry Potter.

Cedric dropped out of the tree with his sister right behind him.

"Ah, and this strapping young lad must be Cedric," Mr. Weasley greeted, taking Cedric's hand.

"Yes, sir," Cedric replied with a small smile.

Jessica waited for her father to introduce her or something, but he didn't nor did anyone notice her.

"Come on, this way!" Mr. Weasley called, starting off up the hill.

Cedric appeared at Jessica's side. "I hope you're not sore that Father didn't introduce you," he whispered, wrapping an arm around her thin shoulders.

She shrugged, "I'm used to him ignoring me any more."

Cedric hugged his sister. "You're a great sport," he replied, laughing gently. She wrapped her arm about his waist as they finished trudging up the hill.

"Grab hold everyone!" Mr. Weasley called out. Everyone crowded around the boot, elbowing Jessica out of the way.

"On three!" Her father called out. "One, two...!"

Everyone but Jessica had managed to get at least a finger on the boot. Just before her father said three, Cedric realized Jessica couldn't reach. He reached out and grabbed her wrist just as the boot began to spin off. Cedric's fingers were slipping as they spun.

"Hold on tightly!" He shouted back to his sister.

Jessica tried to grip his fingers tighter, but she was being pulled backwards too hard. She screamed as she fell off into the spinning fog.

"Jess!" Cedric shouted as she disappeared from view.

A moment later Jessica hit the ground with a thud.

"Where the hell am I?" She muttered looking around. Forest surrounded her on all sides.

"Damn." Why was it always her that got lost in unfamiliar places? It seemed to happen with alarming frequency.

She pulled out her wand. "Point me." The wand spun for a moment and then pointed directly to her left.

She sighed; judging by where the Portkey had been and the World Cup was supposed to take place, the World Cup should have been slightly west of her. After a moment she started off in the direction she supposed the camps to be.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Two hours later she could hear the shouts that signaled people. She hurried ahead and found herself at the edge of the Quidditch camp, but not the civilian camp. This was the players' camp. A low groan escaped her throat. She didn't want go around and risk getting lost again, but she couldn't go through the camp.

After a moment's hesitation, Jessica dove into the camp, looking for someone who could show her the way to the civilians' camp. As she wove in and out of the crowd she bumped into someone quite hard. The blow knocked her to the ground.

"I am so sorry, miss," a husky, accented voice apologized from above her. Jessica stared up to see a muscular young man about her age. He had closely cropped brown hair and a slight beard on his strong chin. But it was his eyes that caught her attention. They were a soft, deep brown that seemed to hold all the answers.

"Here." The young man held out his hand to her. "Let me help you."

Jessica grasped his hand and he lifted her easily to her feet.

"Hey! You! What are you doing here?" Came a shout from behind Jessica. The Bulgarian Manager was running towards her, his eyes blazing. The young man held up his hand and said something in Bulgarian to the man who shrugged and left.

"Why are you clear over here?" the Bulgarian player asked as he led her towards the civilians' camp, having guessed her destination.

"I lost my grip on a Portkey far too soon and had to find a way here," she admitted sheepishly.

The young man laughed, "That's happened to me several times as well." She laughed too.

"So, what's your name?" the young man asked Jessica.

"Oh, sorry," Jessica blushed. "My name's Jessica Diggory." She held out her hand.

The young man gripped it tightly. "Viktor Krum."

"Really?" Jessica looked him over carefully. She'd never seen any pictures of Viktor Krum so she couldn't really know if this was the real guy.

An amused grin split his serious face. "It's not everyday a girl disbelieves me when I tell her who I am. Usually the girl would be clamoring for an autograph or something."

"Well, I'm certainly not your average girl," Jessica told him.

"I can see that," he said softly.

The two of them started off towards the civilian camp, chatting about everything from school to Quidditch.

"Well, I should probably be getting back to my team mates." Viktor said looking uncomfortably about the camp.

"Probably. I'll see you tonight then," she agreed.

Viktor grinned, "Hopefully it will be holding the Quidditch World Cup."

Jessica gave her new friend the thumbs-up sign and a wave before running off to find her brother. She bumped right into a camp manager.

"Excuse me." She said politely, "But can you tell me where the Diggorys are located?"

The manager checked his map. "Site A7." He said after a moment.

Jessica thanked him and took off at a run through the tents. After a few seconds she managed to find the correct row and not long after did she find the tent. She unlocked the door and slipped inside to take a nap before the match.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Jess!" Cedric exclaimed, scooping up his sister.

Jessica was jerked into wakefulness.

"I thought we'd lost you for good! I've spent the last three hours scouring this place for you."

Jessica hugged her brother tightly. "I'm glad you care," she whispered.

Cedric pulled her out of the tent. "We've got to hurry! The match will be starting soon."

Jessica allowed herself to be pulled along to the stadium where Amos was waiting with the Weasleys.

"Hurry up! We'll miss the teams!" Fred called to them. They flashed their tickets at the gate keeper and hurried inside.

"Wow, how far up are we?" one of the boys asked.

"Well, let's put it this way. If it rains, you'll be the first to know," Lucius Malfoy sneered at them.

Jessica growled as Cedric grasped her wrist to keep her from cursing him into oblivion. He led her quickly up the stairs in hopes of avoiding a fight which he did, only by a slim margin.


	2. The Bulgarian Seeker

"You should've let me jinx him," Jessica growled at her brother

"You should've let me jinx him," Jessica growled at her brother.

Cedric grinned, "I don't really feel like being responsible for the disfiguration of Lucius Malfoy." He made a face and Jessica and the Weasley twins laughed.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

They reached the top floor and leaned over the bars to see the field clearly.

"See, I told you these seats would be worth waiting for!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

Jessica settled herself propped up on the bars.

"Here come the Irish!" one of the twins cried suddenly. They rattled off the players' names excitedly. A shimmering leprechaun did a jig in mid-air, until the Bulgarians arrived at any rate. One of the Bulgarians did a hand stand on his broom directly in front of Jessica.

"Who's that?" Harry asked the twins.

"That's only the best Seeker in the world!" Fred exclaimed. A huge image of the Seeker was being flashed across the seats. "KRUM!" The twins cried together as the crowd began cheering madly.

Jessica had to smile at his antics.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

As the game began Jessica watched closely as the Irish Chasers scored several times on the Bulgarians before the Bulgarians could even get a finger on the ball. A slight movement caught her eye as the Seekers rose high above the field, searching for the Snitch. Lynch floated across the field, while Viktor hovered just a few feet from the Diggorys and Weasleys. He turned to look at her and waved at her.

Jessica smiled, blushing and waved back. The twins turned to stare at her, their mouths open. She turned a darker shade of pink. A split second later Viktor dove straight for the ground and Lynch was right behind him. The crowd gasped as Viktor jerked his broom tip and Lynch smashed into the turf. The ref blew his whistle as medi-wizards began to tend Lynch. Viktor smirked and flashed Jessica a thumbs-up.

She laughed and made a face at him. He smiled again and let his eyes dart about, searching for the Snitch. Lynch got up and the smile turned into a frown. He concentrated on the search. Jessica allowed herself to let her conscientiousness slip away as she melted into the game.

She was ripped rudely out of it as a Bludger rammed itself into Viktor's face, shattering his nose.

"No!" she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

Lynch took the opportunity to dive after the Snitch. Viktor raced for it, blood spattering his robes. He caught it in an instant and swooped upward. Lynch crashed seconds later. The crowds cheered as Viktor raised his fist triumphantly.

Jessica smiled, but sighed inwardly as she realized the Bulgarians had lost by ten points. Viktor's brown eyes met hers as he smiled. A tiny frown appeared on his face at the score, but he smiled again. The Irish were circling the field triumphantly, Lynch was being held up by two of his team mates. The Bulgarians dismounted and filed through the Top Box, shaking hands with their Prime Ministers. The Irish followed after and were presented with the trophy.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The stadium began to empty and Jessica followed the Weasleys out. Cedric had linked arms with her.

"Can't risk you getting lost again," he whispered.

Jessica gave a short laugh as they headed for their tent. Amos had gone off with a couple of his friends for a toast to the Irish, leaving his children alone.

"Wicked game." Cedric commented when they were safely inside the tent.

"Yep." Jessica mumbled in reply, still thinking the game over in her head.

"How about I get us something to eat?" Cedric suggested.

Jessica nodded, "Sure."

Cedric disappeared into the kitchen. He knew better than to let Jessica anywhere near the kitchen with the intent of cooking. She was a terrible cook, even with magic. Sure, she could conjure a feast, but it turned to lead in your stomach. It was really bad. Cedric, however, was an excellent cook and loved to whip up dishes the Muggle way.

Jessica flopped down on the couch, exhausted from the day.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

A few minutes later, Cedric appeared with a couple of bowls of stew and the siblings settled around the low table. They had just started eating when someone rang the door bell. (FYI: It's just a pulley bell thing on a stick.)

"Come in!" Cedric called, waving his hand at the flap. It opened and Viktor stepped inside tentatively.

"Viktor!" Jessica exclaimed, leaping to her feet. She gave her friend a quick hug. "I see you got your nose fixed."

Viktor laughed, "Yep, didn't see the stupid Bludger."

Cedric just looked up at the pair, an eyebrow raised. "You two know each other?" He asked Jessica.

"Oh, yeah. Viktor helped me find my way to camp." Jessica looked back and forth between the two boys. "Viktor meet my brother Cedric Diggory. Cedric meet Viktor Krum."

The boys shook hands.

"Nice to meet you." Viktor said politely.

Cedric smiled, "Nice to meet you too."

A moment of silence descended.

"Would you like something to eat?" Jessica asked Viktor.

"I really shouldn't impose." Viktor replied quickly.

"No imposition at all," Cedric interjected. "Any friend of Jess' is a friend of mine. Sit down." He motioned to a cushion at the table and went to get another bowl of stew.

Viktor sat down gingerly beside Jessica. "Your brother's really nice," he told her.

Jessica nodded, "Yep, he's always there for me."

Viktor smiled, "I have a baby sister at home, her name's Nadia."

"That's pretty, I'll bet it fits her perfectly." Jessica said.

Viktor nodded, "That it does."

"How did you manage to find me again?" Jessica asked.

The young man shrugged, "Camp managers are wonderful creatures."

Jessica grinned at him and shook her head.

Cedric reappeared with the stew and the trio talked and laughed as they ate.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

An hour later the trio still sat about the tent, talking. Viktor was telling them about a scene he had witnessed in the Ministers' Box.

"So, our Minister of Magic said, 'Vell, ve fought bravely.' Minister Fudge was beside himself and said, 'You can speak English! And you've been letting me mime everything all day!' At that point our Minister just shrugged and told him, 'Vell, it vos very funny.' It was hilarious really." Viktor finished and the three laughed uproariously.

Just then the tent flap opened. Amos tottered in, looking rather drunk. He squinted at Viktor. "Whosh this?" He slurred, clutching the back of a chair.

"Father, this is Viktor Krum," Cedric said, standing up and escorting Amos to his own room.

Viktor and Jessica stood up too.

"I suppose it is high time I left." Viktor said.

Jessica glanced a bit sadly at the floor, "I hope to see you again soon."

Viktor smiled at her. "Of course."

They embraced briefly as Viktor left.

"Tell your brother 'thank you' for me," he said just as the flap closed.

Jessica sighed and collapsed in her own bed. Dreams of Quidditch drifted through her mind as she slept.


	3. Hogwarts to Ourselves

Jessica lay in the middle of her twin's bed in the Hufflepuff common rooms

Jessica lay in the middle of her twin's bed in the Hufflepuff common rooms. She was busy drawing things on the canopy of his four-poster bed with her wand to pass the time. Currently a hot pink flower was flashing up on random spots on the canopy. She moved to erase it when the door to the boys' bathroom opened and waves of steam rolled out.

Cedric strolled out of the bathroom wearing only a towel about his hips. He didn't notice his twin as he was engrossed in trying to detangle his bath robe sash.

"Interesting choice of wardrobe," Jessica commented, cocking one eyebrow.

"Merlin's—" Cedric bit off the end of his swearing at the sight of his sister on his bed. "How many times have I told you not to come in here without permission?" he demanded.

Jessica shrugged. "Honestly, I haven't the foggiest. I lost track after the first time since that was also when I started ignoring."

Cedric scowled at his sister as she grinned cheekily at him.

"What would you have done had I not been wearing a towel?" he asked her.

She shrugged again. "It's not like I haven't seen you minus clothes before. Remember that one time when we were nine—"

He threw his hands into the air. "I give up," he declared. "Now, get out and let me get dressed."

"Oh all right." Jessica mussed her twin's wet hair before exiting the room for the night. She settled on one of the couches in the common room. It was nice to have the whole place to themselves for a couple of days. The twins had arrived at school early because of the attack at the World Cup.

Only minutes after Jessica had settled down on the couch she heard Cedric.

"JESSICA LYNN DIGGORY!!" he bellowed angrily. "GET YOUR ARSE IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Jessica tipped her head over the back of the couch to face the boys' dorms.

"Whatever is the matter, Ced?" she called back innocently.

"You know damn well what the matter is," he yelled at her. "Get this flashing pink flower off of my canopy!"

Jessica sighed and walked back into the boys' dorms. She flicked her wand at the canopy and made the hot pink flower vanished.

"Thank you," Cedric said as he calmed down. "I'm going to bed if you don't mind. I suggest you do the same." He planted a soft kiss on his twin's forehead and hugged her.

"Okay then," Jessica replied. "I'll just head up to my bed then." She left the boys' dorms and headed up the stairs to her own. Her stuff was sitting at the foot of her bed. A few minutes of rummaging produced a pair of boy shorts and a tank top. Jessica slipped into them and stretched languidly out on the bed. She glanced over at the clock after a little while. It read 12:01 am. A cruel smile appeared on her face as she picked up her wand. She concentrated hard and flicked her wand.

A startled yell from the floor below signaled Cedric's reawakening.

"DAMN IT, JESSICA!!" he bellowed from below.

Jessica flicked her wand again, turning off the flashing pink flower for the second time that night. She placed her wand beside her bed and rolled over to sleep.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Jessica wandered down to the common rooms wearing her jeans and a bra. Her black t-shirt was over her shoulder and she was drying her hair with a towel as she walked.

"You really have no shame do you, Jess?" Cedric asked, leaning against the doorframe, watching his sister. "First watching me in a towel and now this?"

"Nope," she replied. She flipped her hair back out of her face and threw the towel at Cedric's head. He caught the towel with very little effort. She shrugged the black shirt on over her head.

Her twin threw the towel into the laundry bin beside the boys' bathroom and joined Jessica on her way to the Great Hall for breakfast. She ran a comb quickly through her damp hair and pulled it back into a tight ponytail.

"How do I look?" she asked, twirling in front of her brother.

"Ugly, as per usual," Cedric teased her. She whacked him upside the head. He grinned and picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Ack! Cheater!" she shrieked. "You play Quidditch!"

"So?" he retorted. Jessica flipped herself over his shoulder and landed feet first on the floor behind him.

"See!" he exclaimed. "You're an acrobat. So what's your problem?"

Jessica pulled a face at him and took off running down the hall towards the Great Hall for breakfast.

Cedric shook his head at his sister's antics, but followed her. He caught her around the waist and lifted her off the floor.

"I win," he declared triumphantly.

Jessica pouted at him. He only laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Good morning, Cedric, Jessica," a calm voice greeted behind them.

Both teens whirled to see Professor Dumbledore.

"Good morning, Professor," they replied.

The old wizard smiled kindly at them both. "Having a bit of early morning fun? I must say, I usually get up earlier, but last night a great deal of yelling from the Hufflepuff dorms woke me up once or twice." His blue eyes sparkled brightly in jest.

The twins grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, sir," Cedric apologized. "It won't happen again."

"Feel free to join me at the professors' table," Dumbledore invited. "It gets rather lonely when no one is there with me."

Dumbledore winked at them as he entered the Great Hall. The siblings grinned and followed him into the hall for breakfast.

The trio sat down at the professors' table and had breakfast. Dumbledore listened to Jessica's ramblings with a twinkle in his eye and advised Cedric in tips for his new Charms course, which was added just for him.

Once breakfast was finished Dumbledore excused himself to get ready for the Sorting Ceremony and Opening Feast that night.

"I have not even begun my speech for the evening," he admitted with a smile. "I do believe Minerva might jinx me if she ever found I never write them until the morning of."

He left the twins trying to contain laughter. The moment he had gone, both burst into laughter.

"Hey, let's go visit the lake," Jessica suggested. "It's still warm enough to go swimming."

Cedric shrugged, "Why not?"

They returned to their rooms and grabbed their swim clothes and towels.

"Race you to the water," Jessica challenged.

"You're on," Cedric replied lightly. "I'll even let you have a head start."

His sister scowled at him. "Just race me like you would your friends."

"If you insist," he said.

The halls of Hogwarts rang with the sounds of bare feet slapping against the floor and breathless laughter as the siblings raced for the lake. Cedric purposely fell behind his sister, but stayed close to her. He meant to get even with her for the previous evening's flashing pink flower. As they neared the lake's edge, Cedric scooped up his sister and carried her to the edge of the water. With an unceremonious splash he tossed her into the cold water.

"No fair!" she sputtered as she surfaced. Her wet hair clung to her face in strands.

"That's for last night," Cedric retorted.

Jessica conceded. "Join me, Ced," she invited. He stripped off the thin shirt he'd been wearing and leapt into the water just behind his sister.

A large water fight ensued and ended when Cedric once again lifted his sister over his shoulder and carried her out of the water. They both collapsed on the bank, breathing hard.

"Well, that was fun," Jessica commented.

"Mhm," was all the reply she got. They lay in the sun and allowed its warmth to dry them off.

The huge clock in the Entrance Hall chimed noon.

Jessica stood up and glanced down at her brother. "We should go get ready to meet up with everyone when they arrive."

Cedric opened one grey eye. "Why?"

"I'm sure your fangirls would only be too happy to find you in your swimming shorts," she said slyly.

That got his attention. He shot to his feet and snatched up his stuff. "Let's get going!"

The twins raced for the castle to get changed.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

**A/N: So I'm back! Yay for me! I'm working on updating my Narnia story currently. I just saw **_**Prince Caspian**_** and am totally psyched. My storyline has changed just a tad and will continue to change as I add in the other stories and whatnot. **


	4. New Arrivals at Hogwarts

"Jess

"Jess! Come quick!" Cedric called to his twin. He seized her wrist and began pulling her along behind him.

"Where in the name of Merlin's silky night sky boxer shorts are we going?" she demanded as she was hauled through the corridors.

Her twin didn't answer and just pulled her up beside a window. She glanced outside and saw a huge (ancient) wooden sailing ship appear from beneath the waves of the lake. If that wasn't weird enough for her, a giant silvery carriage was swinging through the air behind a team of giant, winged horses on its way toward the Hogwarts grounds.

Jessica's mouth opened and closed a few times. She had never seen things this strange. Flying cars, yes. Ships that went underwater, no. Things around Hogwarts were just plain weird, even for a Wizarding school.

"Why are there new people coming to Hogwarts?" Jessica asked her brother as the professors shooed them away from the windows and out of the halls, towards the Great Hall.

Cedric shrugged. "Who knows, this whole year has been a bit weird so far."

The twins settled on one of the benches at the Hufflepuff table with Cedric's friends. The whole Hall was abuzz with news of the new arrivals. Everyone had a different theory about who they were.

Dumbledore stepped up to the platform at the front of the room to begin his speech. He winked at the twins before beginning.

"Now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. You see Hogwarts has been chosen..." His speech was cut short by Filch running up the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, limping in a rather comical fashion. Snickers erupted in the Great Hall. He paused by Dumbledore and whispered something to the Headmaster before leaving the same way.

Dumbledore continued quickly, "So Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Tri-Wizard tournament. Now for those of you who do not know, the tri-wizard tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single contestant is selected to compete. Now let me be clear, if chosen you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint hearted, but more of that later. For now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbaton's Academy of Magic and their headmistress Madam Maxime."

The doors of the Great Halls opened to admit in a handful of girls dressed in powdered blue wearing ridiculous hats. Jessica hid a snicker behind her hand. All of the guys around her glowered in her general direction. The boys, she noted, applauded the most enthusiastically when the performance was finished. She turned back to Dumbledore.

He began to speak again. "And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and the high master Igor Karkaroff."

A number of boys entered the Great Hall twirling bo staffs and pounding them into the ground. Sparks shot up every time the staffs touched the ground. The staffs vanished as the boys rushed forward into a series of flips.

"You complain about me being acrobatic," Jessica muttered to Cedric. "But look at them."

He shushed her. Then three more figures marched into the room.

"Viktor!" Jessica breathed as she recognized the famous Seeker. She attempted a small wave, but he wasn't paying attention to anyone at the moment.

Every boy (and girls for that matter) around her gaped at her, except for Cedric that is.

"You know him!?" one girl gasped incredulously.

Jessica turned pink and sank into her seat as quickly as she could.

Everyone in the Great Hall settled in for the evening meal as Dumbledore clapped his hands. Jessica tried her best to ignore the glances the people at her table kept sending her. But the pair of soft brown eyes at the Slytherin table seemed to draw her in. Viktor had finally noticed Jessica sitting beside her brother. He flashed her a smile and returned her wave. Every girl in the room was suddenly glaring at Jessica.

It seemed like forever, but Dumbledore finally got up to speak again.

"Your attention please! I would like to say a few words. Eternal glory, that is what awaits the student who wins the tri-wizard tournament. But to do this that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks," he told the crowded Hall quite gravely. "For this reason the ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the head of the department of international magic cooperation, Mister Bartimus Crouch."

A mousy looking man was about to speak when the ceiling suddenly went crazy. Rain began pouring down on the students and people began screaming. A stocky, older wizard appeared in the doorway with his wand out and ready. The ceiling stopped its raining. A mechanical blue eye spun in his socket as he greeted Dumbledore.

The mousy looking man finally stepped forward and began to speak, "After much deliberation the ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the tri-wizard tournament. This decision is final."

The Great Hall filled with boos at this announcement.

"That's rubbish!" someone shouted from the Gryffindor table.

"Silence!" Dumbledore boomed. He pointed his wand at a golden tower standing beside him. The gold began to melt into the floor to reveal a large wooden cup that looked like it had been carved.

"The goblet of fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if chosen there's no turning back. As from this moment the Tri-Wizard Tournament has begun," he announced.

Jessica shot a look at Cedric. His face was very serious.

"You aren't seriously going to enter this thing. Are you?" She was worried. The stories of the people who went in, some never came out alive. "You could be killed, Ced," she whispered.

He just shook his head. "They wouldn't have this kind of thing if it meant that someone was going to die. They'll make sure no one truly gets hurt."

His gray eyes met Jessica's blue eyes. "I'll be fine," he told her, but he could tell she didn't believe him.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Jessica sat silently in the darkened Great Hall. The flames from the Goblet were casting an eerie blue light over everything. She had spoken very little to Cedric or Viktor since they had devoted all of their energy to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Both boys wanted to enter and Jessica didn't want either of them to enter. Both kept assuring her that everything would go just fine.

A few people sat down on the stands behind the young Hufflepuff girl and chattered excitedly about the tournament, or rather its entrants.

"I hope that sexy Hufflepuff guy is chosen," one twittered.

"Cedric Diggory?" another one gasped. "He is just too gorgeous for words!"

"What about Viktor Krum?" a third giggled. "He's so fine!"

Jessica growled in exasperation and whipped her head around. "If you don't mind ladies, my brother and my friend are not pieces of meat. Stop acting like they are." She stood up and marched away.

"What a weird girl," one commented.

"I didn't know Cedric or Viktor had a sister," another one murmured.


	5. Becoming Invisible

It was nearly midnight and Hogwarts was silent. The occasional hooting owl could be heard flying over the grounds. Jessica shivered as wind dance through the trees, whipping her long brown ponytail about. It seemed ridiculous to be out in the dead of night without a coat in the middle of November, but that's exactly what the unusually brave (or perhaps foolish) Hufflepuff was doing. Why she was out there, even she didn't know. It had just seemed like a good idea at the time. "The time" was about six hours ago.

**Flashback**

Jessica slouched on the black-and-yellow couch in the common room and glared daggers at the crowd of girls crowding around Cedric, giggling over just how cute he was with his wavy brown hair mussed up. She glanced down at her watch. 5:30pm. Jessica held up her wrist and pointed at the tiny watch face. Cedric had promised he would help her with her Charms homework at 5:00. So far he'd done nothing more than mouth, "One more minute!" It was beginning to annoy her. Maybe "beginning to annoy" wasn't quite right. After all, he'd blown her off three times in the past week. He'd never done anything like that before. If it were to train and study for the tournament, Jessica might have been fine with it. But when the reason he missed those appointments was girls, Jessica drew the line there.

Finally the slightly peeved girl rose to her feet and shoved her way through the crowd of whispering fangirls.

"Cedric!" she snapped. "I believe you have an appointment you need to keep."

Cedric glanced up to meet his twin's angry golden eyes. "One sec," he told her flippantly.

"No, now!" She glared at him for a moment longer. When he made to move to leave the girls around him, she threw her hands with an exasperated sigh and stalked out of the common room.

**End Flashback**

Jessica had only been sitting out on the tree branch for the past two hours. Earlier she'd been throwing rocks into the lake and watching the giant squid throw them back.

"You could catch your death of cold," someone called up to her.

The voice startled Jessica. She had been under the impression that she was alone. Glancing down, she could just make out the strong, broad form of Viktor.

"Typically I don't meddle in other people's affairs," he told her. "But, seeing as you have been out here for several hours without a coat, I think it's time I came out to see what's upset you." Without even waiting for the young woman to reply, Viktor hauled himself up into the tree.

Jessica didn't say anything as the Seeker settled his muscled frame on the branch. It seemed a bit odd to her that someone as famous and popular as Viktor would take the time to notice that she was out here on her own and upset when her own brother hadn't even done that much. She shivered again.

A warm arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her slender frame so close to Viktor that she could faintly smell the soap he used in his clothes. Viktor wrapped part of his over-sized sweater around Jessica's shoulders and stretched the material to fit both of them.

"What in the world possessed you to come out here without a jacket?" he demanded.

Jessica just shrugged in a non-committal way.

"No," he admonished. "None of that now. What happened?"

"Cedric blew me off." Then she added, "Again."

"Was he studying or something?" Viktor asked.

She shook her head. "I wouldn't be upset over something like that, but he's been blowing me off for other girls. Sometimes he forgot an appointment with me before, but I know he didn't this time because after the first time I kept reminding him. He's just been hanging out with girls from every House and forgetting about me." _Just like everyone else._ She thought sadly.

Viktor didn't say anything for a long time. He just sat there, staring off into the night.

Jessica began to slowly allow her bunched up muscles to relax as Viktor's body heat warmed them up again. She'd never really been this close to a guy that wasn't her brother. It seemed so strange, and yet so natural to be this close to Viktor. With an infantecimal amount of hesitation, Jessica lay her head on the boy's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Viktor glanced down at Jessica with a small smile on his lips. She was going to be okay, he decided.

Within moments the young Hufflepuff was sound asleep against her friend's shoulder.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Jessica began spending more and more time with Viktor over the following days. It seemed her brother had all but forgotten her. Sometimes he still acted like he knew her, but so much of the time he didn't even greet her in the halls. It was so unlike the Cedric she knew and loved.

As the days passed it seemed even more people were forgetting about her. Her teachers had a hard time remembering her name when they called on her in class and if she didn't raise her hand, they completely overlooked her. She supposed she shouldn't be too upset about it, but one can only take being as close to invisible any person could get without he use of an invisibility cloak. At least Viktor hadn't totally forgotten about her.


	6. Potions Surprise

Jessica was extremely relieved when the first task was over. Maybe her brother would start paying attention to her again. Following the rest of the spectators, Jessica hurried out of the stands to congratulate her bother.

"Ced!" she cried out happily when she found him. She gave a huge hug. "Dad's going to be so proud of you."

"Uh, hi?" Cedric sounded very confused. He glanced down at the girl hugging him tightly with a huge smile on her face. She was wearing Hufflepuff colors and looked vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't have remembered her name if his life depended on it.

Jessica heard the barely hidden amusement and confusion in her brother's voice.

"What's wrong, Ced?" she asked.

His handsome face was twisted into a mask of confusion. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure that I even know you."

His words felt like a punch to Jessica's stomach and her heart turned to lead in her chest.

"It's me, Ced," she whispered. Tears threatened to spill out over her cheeks at any moment. "It's your sister, Jessica."

He looked over his shoulders at his snickering friends and gave them a stony glare. Then he leaned close to the girl in front of him. "I'm sorry, Jessica or whatever your name is, but I don't have a sister. You are highly confused and I think you should talk to Dumbledore. He might be able to help you get things straightened out." He gave her an apologetic smile before walking away. It was full of pity and what seemed to be slight amusement.

Jessica's heart felt like it had taken up permanent residence in her throat and was now choking her to death. Her tears spilled down her cheeks. What was happening to her? Why did no one remember her?

A gentle touch on her shoulder brought Jessica back into the real world. Viktor was standing beside her.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

She nodded and wiped fiercely at her eyes. To her surprise, Viktor pulled her gently against his chest. His arms wrapped firmly around her waist. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and held her against him.

"It's a bit early," he murmured in her ear, "but I was wondering if you'd be willing to attend the Yule Ball with me."

Jessica nodded and smiled slightly. She still had Viktor. Maybe with him she could make it through.

**A few days later**

As the days passed, Jessica became more and more frightened. She couldn't understand what was happening to her. People she had known for years insisted they had never seen her before in their lives. Teachers that were often stopping her in the halls just to say "hi" were now stopping to ask who she was and what she was doing in Hogwarts. Even Viktor could barely recall her name any longer.

No one even seemed to see her anymore. She was never called on in class because no one could remember who she really was. "Jessica Diggory" on the role sheets was always the new girl. No one remembered her from day to day. Each day she had to think up some reason she was starting Hogwarts so late in the year.

Jessica stared dully at the bubbling cauldron in front of her. Her truth serum was nearly finished, but she couldn't understand why it even mattered anymore. She refused to give up completely and leave Hogwarts. Someone had to remember her. They were there, she knew, just beyond her fingertips.

Severus Snape wended his way through the endless piles of dull essays on Forgetting Potions, not reading even half of them. Mostly he looked at the length and handwriting size. If the essay was long with small handwriting he would place a high mark on the top, a short paper with large writing failed miserably. On the rare occasion he would glance at a name and give a grade based on the person. A particularly long essay with neat scrawling handwriting caught his eye.

The name at the top read "Jessica Diggory." Severus scanned though the essay with measured surprise. Jessica was never one for writing long essays. It was remarkably thorough for a student paper. It seemed Miss Diggory had left no stone, or page for that matter, unturned in her researching. Only Miss Granger's essays could rival this. But this had a different feel than the hard, emotionless, fact-filled papers the Know-It-All Gryffindor handed in. Miss Granger's papers rarely delved into other magical areas when simply reading up on potions would do it. This paper had gone into known curses involving the forgetting of a person or thing. Somehow Miss Diggory had managed to tie everything together in one neat package.

He picked up his quill and scribbled a note on the top of the paper. Then he proceeded to hand the papers beck to their respective owners.

Jessica glanced in bewilderment at the paper placed solidly in front of her. No one else had yet received their papers back. Usually, because no one remembered her from day to day, she never got the things back.

She chanced a glance up at the Potions Master. He didn't look at her. Jessica slowly turned the parchment over to look at the grade, if there was indeed one. Scrawled in the usual red ink teachers used was a short note.

_Please remain after class. I would like to speak with you._

No other marks were on the page. No grade or anything. She looked back at the professor but he still was not paying any attention to her.

As potions were finished, the students began to stir back to life and packed their returned papers away. Some were groaning about the terrible scores they'd received while others nearly crowed in triumph. Jessica simply sat, immobile, at her cauldron. In the past few days she'd learned that being ignored was easier if she ignored the others first. Things were so much easier if she pretended she'd just had a fight with her housemates.

The ringing of the bell only dimly registered in Jessica's mind. She was slowly replacing the things in her bag as the others rushed from the room.

"Miss Diggory," Professor Snape called.

Jessica was a bit startled that the professor actually remembered her name.

"I noticed that you wrote an interestingly involved essay on forgetting people and things. Is there an explanation as to why?" He looked curiously at the Hufflepuff girl. She didn't even look up to meet his eyes.

"It seemed interesting," she mumbled dully. Why should it matter what explanation she gave? He wouldn't remember it tomorrow anyway.

Severus was a bit surprised at the change he discovered in the girl. If his memory served him correctly, this was the same Jessica Diggory who was notorious for interrupting his class with witty comments about everything and more often than not was causing chaos throughout the school. This was the same girl who wore green jackets and orange skirts with striped knee-high socks in defiance of all school rules. What had happened to that girl? This girl never spoke to anyone and no one spoke to her. In fact, it seemed no one _knew_ her.

"You have changed quite a bit over the past few days and I am concerned. As a professor it is my duty to give you any help I can if something is wrong," he informed her.

Jessica's head shot up and she felt her mouth fall open. How was it possible that, of all people, Severus Snape would be the one who remembered her? Well, maybe this wasn't a total surprise. Her initial research had mentioned that the ones who remembered a cursed person were often only distantly acquainted to the cursed person.

"Professor," she said softly. "I think I'm Cursed."

Snape sat quietly as the girl began to explain what had been happening. She finished with her research efforts.

"I don't want to leave Hogwarts because it seemed like the best place to locate a cure for this thing," she finished finally.

Things were beginning to make sense to Snape now. Everything Jessica had said made perfect sense to him. It explained why her friends had not been speaking to her, why her brother looked so uncomfortable around her. No one actually remembered her.

"Is there no one that remembers you?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"You seem to be the only one. Even Viktor has forgotten me," she murmured.

As if on cue, the Bulgarian appeared in the doorway looking quit bewildered.

"Can I help you, Mr. Krum?" Snape asked.

"Um, sorry, professor," Viktor replied. "I feel as though I've . . . forgotten something important."

Jessica didn't turn around. She feared she would burst into tears if she looked at her best friend.

Snape glanced at the girl sitting quietly in front of him. Her eyes were misty, but she stared resolutely at the desk.

"Miss Prince is a new student here," Snape lied. "I would appreciate it if you would make her feel welcome."

Jessica stared at her teacher. Miss Prince? Why had he given her a new name?

"Certainly, professor," the boy answered. He offered her his arm.

"May I escort you to lunch?" he asked her.

"Y-yes, of course," she managed when she had regained her voice. She shot Snape a quizzical look. He just inclined his head in Viktor's direction.

Jessica slowly approached Viktor. She gave him a small smile and he smiled back.


	7. Rude Awakenings

Jessica sank slowly into her new life as Jessica Prince. Oddly enough, the simple change of name actually allowed her to exist once more. People now remembered her from day to day in her new guise. It had taken Snape some explaining to convince Dumbledore to allow his distant relation to join the school so late in the year, but somehow he had done it. Snape had worked so flawlessly that she didn't have to move anything at all. She was still a Hufflepuff and no one except Dumbledore thought she was Snape's relative. All of her old friends had met up with Jessica Prince and become her friend. It was almost as if she'd never missed a thing.

Almost, that is. She still missed being able to bounce ideas off of her brother, and it just was seen as bit weird for a strange girl to know so much about Cedric. That had taken her quite a bit of getting used to.

There were other things, like her relationship with Viktor, that hadn't changed a whole lot. Viktor still laughed and joked with her about a lot of things. He still went to classes with her and teased her about things. He even was willing to break rules and sit out on the roof of the school with her.

As the Yule Ball drew nearer Jessica wondered if Viktor might invite her again as Jessica Prince. It seemed likely. The two spent so much time together that she would be surprised if he didn't.

"Jessica!" As if on cue, Viktor appeared beside her table in the library.

"Hi, Viktor," she said cheerfully. She noticed the elated look he had on his face as he sat down next to her.

"You know that pretty bookish girl in Gryffindor?" he asked her.

Jessica looked at him in confusion. "Yeah, why?"

"I just asked her to the Yule Ball," he admitted in one breath.

"Oh," Jessica said, slightly stunned by his revelation. "And she said . . . ?"

"Yes."

Jessica plastered a grin on her face. "That's awesome!"

"Are you going with anyone?" he asked.

"I've had lots of offers," she lied, her fake smile still in place.

Viktor grinned, "Good. I've got to run. Training for the tournament you know. Our next task is after the ball so I need to get busy." He waved at her before leaving the library.

Jessica fought back tears as she quickly gathered up her things. In all actuality, no one had asked her to the Yule Ball. With the Yule Ball being in only a few days her hopes of finding a date were shrinking rapidly. Nearly every boy in her year had been taken. On top of all that she really wasn't interested in anyone but Viktor.

**At the Yule Ball**

Jessica sat to one side of the Great Hall, watching couples dance and spin as she nursed her cup of punch. She picked at the silky fabric of her black dress, wondering why she'd even come.

"Jessica!"

Jessica looked up to see Viktor walking toward her, the fourth year on his arm. Her throat tightened at the sight.

"Hi, Viktor," she said with false cheerfulness.

"Where's your date?" he asked.

"Getting punch," she lied.

"You've been sitting by yourself for quite a while," Viktor remarked quietly.

"He must have gotten distracted," Jessica said. She could tell Viktor wasn't convinced.

"Viktor, I think I see my friends over there," the Gryffindor said suddenly, "Would you mind terribly if I went to see them for a little while?"

"Sure, go ahead," he said, giving her a grateful smile. Then he sat down next to Jessica.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" he asked gently.

"Nope, not a thing," Jessica answered. Viktor gave her the look again. Jessica decided to try a different tactic.

"I think I see my date over there, he looks a bit lost. I'd better go rescue him. Would you excuse me?" Jessica lied quickly. She stood up and hurried towards the knot of people around the entrance of the Great Hall and the punch table. Within a second, she had disappeared from Viktor's line of sight.

Once she had safely escaped from the Great Hall, Jessica made a beeline for the Hufflepuff common rooms. She had to get out of her rather uncomfortable dress and into something that was easier to move and think in.

The black dress that had been so carefully purchased in a trip to Hogsmeade was tossed on the floor and promptly kicked under the bed. The shoes that had been painstakingly created to match met a similar fate and the tenderly arranged hair was forcefully pulled out of its tight French twist. Gone was the ridiculously uncomfortable strapless bra.

On went a pair of faded and torn blue jeans, a sport bra, and a black hoodie. Jessica slipped on a pair of tennis shoes and headed out of the castle using one of the side doors to avoid the main halls of the castle where she was sure to run into someone she knew.

Jessica pulled her wand from her pocket and conjured up a few balls of light and positioned them around her to light the area she was in. She wanted to blow off some of her pent up frustrations by doing some of her old gymnastic routines. She hadn't competed for so long, but she still loved the sport.

After a few moments of the ever important stretching, the young woman launched herself into a series of cartwheels and handsprings. It appeared that she wasn't as out of practice as she'd previously thought. Her hands and feet seemed to know exactly what they were supposed to be doing. That left her mind able to think, insofar as that was ever possible for her.

Sometimes she wondered why on earth she'd allowed Snape to invent a name for her. Heck, she wondered why she'd even bothered to stay at Hogwarts. There was nothing here for her, yet she felt like she couldn't leave. Even if Cedric didn't believe it, he was still her brother. Jessica's chest ached slightly at the thought of her brother. What had happened to her that caused her beloved brother to forget her?

Cedric had always been there for Jessica, even when no one else was. He had helped her through so many hard times and had been the only one in the family to see her as an individual. Her father certainly had never paid much attention to her and her mother was usually too busy worrying about her "precious Ceddy" to notice that she had a daughter.

A sad sigh escaped her lips as she completed another pass. Even her old gymnastic moves no longer helped her mood.

Her slender shoulders slumped dejectedly as she called back her orbs and headed towards the castle.

She managed to slip back into the castle without anyone noticing. At least, that's what she was hoping. Though it was entirely likely that no one actually saw her. Too many girls were either crying over broken hearts or comforting the aforementioned broken-hearted girls. It was easy for her to slip into the Hufflepuff dorms without being stopped.

**The Next Morning**

Jessica sat up in bed and glared blearily at the girls who were shrieking wildly. What in the name of Merlin's boxers did those girls have to be so cheerful about? Hadn't the loud blonde one been sitting in the hallway crying just the night before? Why the bloody hell was she so cheerful now?

With an irritated groan, Jessica flopped back onto her side and pulled the pillow over her head, trying to drown out the insanely loud squealing from the center of the room.

"Jessica! Wake up!"

The slight Hufflepuff growled and burrowed her head deeper under her pillow and pulled the covers over that. Someone, most likely Jessica's over excitable friend, Melissa, was bouncing up and down on the end of her bed.

"Come on, Jess!" The covers were slowly being dragged from Jessica's grip, but coming off faster than the covers was the mattress. The whole mattress slid right off the bed base and knocked over Melissa.

Jessica settled into a now very lumpy bed that wiggled beneath her.

"Jessi!" the squashed girl shrieked, "Get off!"

With a final irritated moan, Jessica dragged herself out of bed. With Melissa's help, she hauled the mattress back onto the bed.

"What is so bloody important that I had to be woken up?" Jessica asked, running a hand through her messy brown hair.

"Ohmygodyou'llneverbelievethisbutCedricDiggoryislayingunconsciousinthecommonroomwithouthisshirtand—" Melissa gushed before she was interrupted.

"Three words, Mel: Slow and repeat," Jessica said.

"Okay, so when I got up this morning and went down to the common room to find Andrew I found Cedric Diggory, sprawled across the floor in front of the fireplace _without his shirt._"

Jessica resisted the urge to slap her friend and instead opted for an irritated sigh.

"Is that why every girl for three kilometers is squealing at the top of their lungs? My bro—I mean, Cedric Diggory is asleep in the common room with no shirt?"

Melissa looked shocked by her friend's complete lack of reaction. Who could resist slipping into the common room to peak at the gorgeous Cedric Diggory? Instead Jessica had just rolled her eyes and acted annoyed.

"Look, Jess, I know you're probably annoyed that Cedric wouldn't ask you to the Yule Ball, but—" Once again, Jessica cut her off.

"Mel, I'm not upset about not going to the ball with Cedric. I'm just irritated that everyone seems to enjoy oogling a guy while he's sleeping. Honestly, there's got to be more to him than just how hot his torso is," she explained.

"Yeah, you're right," Melissa said finally. "I mean, he is a Quidditch player. I hear you have to be pretty strong to be a Quidditch player. Imagine how good he must be in bed."

"Oh, Merlin." Jessica closed her eyes and mentally just gave up. Her friend, and apparently most of the female students, were incurable sex maniacs.

Heaving a sigh, Jessica stood up.

"I'm going to go see this amazing Cedric Diggory for myself," Jessica announced. "Would everyone else kindly remain in the girls dorms for a moment?"

She picked up her pillow and stalked down to the common rooms. Three younger girls were leaning on the couch back, giggling as they looked at the still sleeping Cedric. It only took one sharp glare on Jessica's part to send them scurrying up the stairs.

Once the others had fled from Jessica's death glare, the aforementioned girl lifted the pillow over her head and brought it down quite hard over her brother's head.

Cedric started and promptly fell off the couch.

"What was that for?" he demanded, glaring at Jessica.

"You should thank me," she told him, ignoring the dirty look he was giving her. "It could have been a whole lot worse. Had I been but a few moments later I'm sure those 'innocent little Hufflepuff girls' would have had your pants off and that Creevey kid from Gryffindor in here snapping pictures for them. Either that or they'd be on top of you now and you'd have to explain the situation to a lot of angry fathers."

Cedric grew understandably pale and a horrified look appeared on his face.

Once Jessica had finished informing Cedric Diggory of what his fate nearly had been, she spun around and headed right back up to the girls' dorms to sleep some more.


	8. Explanations

Jessica sat staring numbly into the inky depths of the lake. The second task had recently concluded, leaving Jessica with a dull aching in her chest. It hadn't really surprised her that she wasn't the most important person to Cedric. After all, she didn't mean anything to him. She was just the random new girl who'd nailed him over the head with a pillow a few weeks before. But to not be important to Viktor . . . that hurt a lot. She knew it was petty of her to care about how important she was to a boy she'd only known for less than a year, but he was really the only person who seemed to care about her. Except for Professor Snape.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the dark-haired professor settle down beside her.

"I'm sorry, Jessica," he said after a few minutes. "I have been asking some covert questions of Dumbledore as well as doing my own research, but I don't think that there is any cure for this 'problem' you have."

Tears stung Jessica's eyes as she turned to look at Professor Snape.

"Do you know what the problem is? Why this is happening to me?" she asked, struggling not to break down and cry.

"It seems to be an issue that exists only in the Wizarding world and only in Pureblood families," he explained. "It only affects fraternal twins of opposite genders. Usually the problem does not appear until the children are old enough to speak. In some cases, one of the children is forgotten the moment the parents see the twins. I discovered that this is the case for the Malfoy family. When Draco was born, he had a twin sister. Lucius was so intent on having an heir, and Narcissa so eager to please her husband that the little girl was promptly forgotten. I found out from the attending nurse at St. Mungo's that the girl is attending a Wizarding school in North America. In your case, this 'defect' could not take effect due to your brother's loyalty to you. It has only just happened because so much attention has been directed at him that he lost track of you for too long. As far as I have found, there is nothing that can be done regarding your condition. Only a select few people in the world will ever know who you truly are. Among those few are the other Forgottens."

Jessica sat quietly for a long moment, absorbing the information. Everything Severus had said made sense. It was interesting to her that there were others like her. She wondered vaguely about the Malfoy girl somewhere in North America. There was so much that didn't make sense to her. But at least now she had an explanation as to her predicament.

"Thanks," Jessica said softly. She stood up and headed for the castle. Her life was so screwed up, but at least there were a few people who would know her. Somewhere.

Severus watched the young woman walk away from him. She had taken the news better than he'd expected. He'd half expected a temper tantrum or her dissolving into tears. Such actions seemed to be more Jessica's style. However, she'd surprised him again. She'd been surprising him since he'd started taking the time to _see_ her.

Hogwarts was a strange place.

Three days later found Jessica sitting in a window seat in the Astrology Tower. This was one of her favorite spots. She came here often to think.

Jessica chewed her lip slowly as she sat with her pen poised over the blank pages of her book. Slowly she penned the date in the upper, right-hand corner. Her hand moved as if she was in a trance. Her quill drifted over the page, putting down her tale as it had happened thus far. What Snape said had got her thinking about the other Forgottens. She wanted to write something that would let someone else in her same predicament know exactly what was happening to them. No one should be so scared and uncertain.

"Hey, what's up?" The voice startled Jessica and she slammed her book shut. Her eyes landed on Viktor. His brown eyes moved between her face and the book on her knees.

"Journal," she answered to his unspoken question. He nodded slowly.

"Do you want to be alone?" he asked, watching her for a long moment.

"Nope, you're welcome to stay." Jessica motioned to the space left on the window seat. Viktor settled his large frame into the proffered space. He was . . . puzzled. That was the impression Jessica got from him. It wasn't really worried or confused, just a bit questioning.

"You've gotten really distant lately," he commented. "What's wrong?"

"I've just been doing some thinking about what life will be like after all this is over," she replied. That was the truth. After Hogwarts was over, what could she do? Where could she go? She had no one to turn to, no family, and likely, after Hogwarts was over for her, no friends.

"It'll be brutal, the real world," Viktor observed with a wry smile.

"Yep." Jessica wanted to say so much more, but she couldn't. Nothing she said would have made any difference, Viktor would forget it the moment they parted company, forget her.

"There's something you're not telling me," he said finally. "What's really bugging you?"

Jessica pushed her journal into her bag with her quill and other supplies before standing up and looking down at the Bulgarian. She was forced to bite the inside of her lip to keep it from quivering. Her chest ached with pent-up emotion.

"It's nothing you can fix, Viktor," she whispered after a long moment of silence. "Just leave it alone." With that, Jessica turned and started walking down the stairs.

" Jessica! Wait!" Viktor caught her hand. "Hey, I'm here for you if you need to talk."

"Thanks." She smiled sadly at him before pulling her hand out of his and heading down the stairs.

Viktor ran his hand through his thin brown hair and sighed. Something was really bugging Jessica and it was scaring him. He remembered when he'd first met her that she'd been lonely. For a while she'd been really happy and then the Yule Ball happened. Since then she'd been distant from him and quieter than normal. He didn't understand what was going on.

Once she was far enough away, Jessica fell back against a wall in an empty corridor and slid to the ground. Tears filled her eyes as she sat slumped against the wall. Why was this happening to her? It wasn't fair. She just wanted to be normal, to have a family, to have her friends again. All of those crazy escapades she'd had with her brother and the girls had been erased as far as everyone else was concerned. She didn't exist in their world. While she could laugh and talk with them, she was still just an outsider.

Tears began to flow freely down her face. She was so lost, all her bravado and spunk sapped from her.

Viktor heard the soft sobs coming from one of the side halls. He had a pretty good idea who it was. Jessica had been really upset when she'd left him. With amazing silence for such a large boy, Viktor slipped down the hall. Slumped against one of the walls, her arms wrapped around her knees and her head on her arms, was Jessica.

Someone slid to the ground beside her as she cried. Jessica did not resist the gentle arms as they wrapped around her body and pulled her against a solid chest. Her companion said nothing, just letting her cry herself out.

Finally, Jessica pulled herself back and wiped at her eyes. Her silent companion handed her a tissue. She swiped at her swollen eyes with it.

"Thanks," she whispered miserably.

"Please, just tell me what's wrong," Viktor requested, one arm still resting around his friend's shoulder.

Jessica licked her dry lips as she tried to figure out how to tell him without ruining everything she'd worked for just to have a few friends.

"I have . . . a disease," she answered slowly. "One that has no cure." That was as close to the truth as Jessica could really get. Any closer and all her work, all Severus' hard work, to help her exist semi-normally would be ruined.

Viktor's arm tightened around her shoulders. His gaze was distant and unfocused. He seemed to be thinking very hard about something.

"Did you find out about the time of the Yule Ball?" he asked finally. Jessica looked up at him, startled. Why was he asking about such a specific time? His brown eyes gave away nothing about his intentions.

"No, I found out almost two months before that," she answered slowly.

Viktor's brow furrowed and his brown eyes darkened for a brief moment. Jessica looked up at him, worried by his reaction, or lack thereof.

"Then why have you changed so much since the Yule Ball?" he wanted to know.

"Changed?" Jessica asked, sitting up straight.

"You used to be so happy all the time," Viktor commented. "But ever since the Yule Ball, you've been more and more distant, even more so now since the Second Task."

"It's nothing," she replied. To tell Viktor the truth about her feelings for him would be almost as fatal a blow to their friendship as telling him about her "disease." His friendship was one of the last threads holding her to life. Without him she had nothing to hold on to.

"It must be something," he continued, his brown-eyed gaze roving over her face. "You wouldn't have become so upset over nothing."

With a sigh, he squeezed her hand and planted a soft kiss on her head. A tremor ran through his body as he did so before he stiffened.

"Viktor?" Jessica waved her hand in front of his face. He blinked rapidly as if waking up.

"That was really strange," he muttered, releasing her hand suddenly and drawing back as if he'd been burned.

"What happened?" she asked, seeing his face.

"I saw you," he told her. "You, we, were in a tent. I think it was after the Quidditch World Cup because my nose hurt still from being broken during the game. We were sitting at a table with Cedric Diggory, laughing and talking. Then his father came tottering in, drunk. He wasn't at all surprised to see you, but he was me." Something lit up in the back of Viktor's eyes.

"You remember that?" she gasped, incredulous. Was it possible that someone could remember her as she was?

"So it's a memory and not a dream?" he inquired.

"Of course it's a memory."

"You lived with Cedric Diggory?" Viktor's voice got dangerously low and his eyes darkened.

Jessica began to realize that something strange was happening. Viktor did not know that she was Cedric's sister, all he knew was that she had been with Cedric Diggory, in his tent, the night after the World Cup.

"We're relatives," she told him quickly.

"So why don't you ever speak to him?" Viktor asked.

"We had a falling out," Jessica explained. She hoped Viktor would buy the explanation and just leave it alone.

"Okay," he said finally. Her heart sank. Viktor didn't fully buy it.

"I've got to run. See you tomorrow?" Jessica queried, flashing Viktor a smile.

"Yeah, sure." He sounded distracted. Jessica scrambled to her feet and disappeared down the hall. Why now, of all times, did Viktor remember part of their past together? When no answer presented itself, Jessica just sighed and headed for the dorms.


	9. The Final Cut

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your comments on this story. I'm starting to get into full writing swing and have a number of little ideas to be written out. This story has changed so much since I began writing it many years ago, and I have finally found the direction I want for it after eight chapters. Please continue to let me know what you think. I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing!**

Jessica thought that this Curse, losing everyone she'd ever loved, had taught her what pain was. But standing there on the stairs, watching her best friend kiss the young Gryffindor sent pain knifing through her chest.

The couple broke apart and Viktor whispered tenderly to the girl as he brushed his fingers over her cheek. A smile danced across the girl's face as she practically skipped back toward the Gryffindor dorms. Viktor watched her go before glancing up the stairs to see Jessica watching him.

She tried to smile, to wave, to make some gesture of familiarity, but couldn't. The pain in her chest grew to a crushing weight as the Bulgarian turned and walked away. Her shoulders slumped and the breath Jessica had been unconsciously holding slipped out in despair. No matter how many times she saw him during the day, Viktor refused to speak to her. Jessica wandered slowly back to the Hufflepuff dorms, her previous errand of going to the library utterly forgotten.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

It was nearly a week before Viktor spoke to her again.

"Jessica! Wait up!"

The young woman whirled, her heart pounding in expectation as Viktor called out to her. The Bulgarian Seeker wound his way through the crowded hall toward her. When he caught up to her, he lightly grasped her arm with one hand.

"We need to talk," he informed her. Jessica felt her heart sink at the tone of his words. Still, she allowed him to lead her to one side of the hall.

"You lied to me," Viktor growled. His eyes were dark as they stared her down.

"What? No!" Jessica looked at him in confusion. She tried to move and was startled as Viktor's arms shot out on either side of her to block her path.

"I just spoke to Cedric Diggory and he told me that the two of you aren't related. In fact, he said the only thing he remembers about you since this tournament started is you hitting him over the head with a pillow," he told Jessica. "I even showed him the memory and he still didn't remember you. Why did you erase his memory? Was it because the two of you were dating and he dumped you for that girl he took to the Yule Ball? Hm? Is that why you've changed so much since the Yule Ball?"

Jessica's mouth hung open in shock as Viktor paused for a moment to take a breath. He thought she had been dating Cedric? That she had Obliviated his memory of her?

"I thought you were different from those other girls," Viktor finished in a disappointed tone. "I didn't think you'd go so far as to wipe someone's memory of you just so you could get close to me."

Those final words snapped something inside of Jessica. In an instant she had changed from a quiet, shocked girl to a screaming, flailing hellion.

"My name is Jessica Diggory, Cedric is my brother!" she shrieked, shoving Viktor backward. "But what do you care? You won't even remember who I am in thirty seconds!" Viktor dodged her fists as best he could, but one managed to clip his jaw.

"MISS DIGGORY!" Snape's voice boomed out over hers with the help of a charm. His voice caused ever student in the immediate vicinity to freeze in fear. No one had realized the greasy-haired professor was anywhere near.

"Fifteen points from Hufflepuff for that lack of control. Now, follow me," Snape ordered.

"Yes, Professor," Jessica whispered, her anger vanishing abruptly. Everyone in the hall was staring at her as she followed Snape toward the potions classroom. A bitter smile appeared on her lips as the students parted to allow them through. They wouldn't be forgetting her for at least another two minutes.

The number of students dwindled as the pair approached the potions classroom. Obviously this was Professor Snape's free period of the day. The professor pushed open the door and motioned for Jessica to head to the curtains at the other end of the classroom. He swept back the curtains to reveal a door with a few words mumbled under his breath. Jessica assumed this was the password as she had personally peeked behind these same curtains her first year and there had been nothing here then.

Snape escorted her into what she guessed was his office. The room stood in stark contrast to his classroom. Where the professor kept his classroom cold, dark, and uncomfortable this room was warm, comfortable, and, though not brightly lit, much brighter than the classroom. He pointed at the chair near the fireplace. Jessica sank numbly into the (surprisingly) comfortable chair.

"What was that all about?" Snape demanded, pacing in front of the fireplace.

"I'm sorry, Professor," she mumbled dejectedly. "Viktor somehow had a memory of the real me and then became really upset about it. Viktor seemed to think I was dating Cedric and I wiped his memory of me so I could get close to Viktor. If I was going to lose my friend, I figured I might just as well reset the whole memory."

Severus sank down in front of the young woman and rested his hands over hers. His black eyes were empty of emotion as usual, but Jessica knew that the man's hand simply resting on hers was a sign that he was worried about her.

"What do you want to do now?" he asked after a long moment of silence.

"I just want to graduate and get out of here," Jessica told him. "Maybe go to America where I can start over."

"I'll arrange things with Dumbledore," he announced, standing. Severus gave the girl's hand a gentle squeeze before stepping into the fireplace and vanishing.

Jessica slumped against the back of the chair, exhausted. She hadn't been sleeping well since Viktor had seen the memory nearly a week before. Now, safe, warm, and utterly exhausted, she drifted off to sleep in her professor's chair.

Snape and Dumbledore stepped out of the fireplace several minutes later to find her sound asleep in the chair.

"She seems to have made herself right at home, Severus," Dumbledore commented with a small smile.

"So I see," the potions master answered with a matching smile.

"And you wish to train her separate from the others?"

"Yes, Headmaster. She has incredible talent, far beyond what any other student here could ever imagine," Severus told Dumbledore.

"Then train her, by all means," the old wizard acquiesced. He started back to the fireplace, but halted just outside of the flames.

"You do realize that I am aware that she is not your niece as you have no siblings?" Dumbledore pointed out.

"I am aware of that, sir, but no one else is," Severus answered. The Headmaster nodded and stepped into the flames, vanishing.

With a tired sigh, Severus conjured a blanket and draped it tenderly over the sleeping girl. Then he exited his office to deal with the students of his next class.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Jessica woke up slowly. She was incredibly stiff and sore from the cramped position she appeared to have fallen asleep in.

"You've been sleeping in my armchair for almost fourteen hours," Snape informed her as her eyes fluttered open. Jessica stretched, popping her neck and back as she did so.

"So what now?" she asked finally, referring to her future.

"I intend to train you to your full potential," Severus answered.

"My 'full potential'?"

"This ordeal has tested you better than anyone could ever hope to," he explained, "You have shown to be resilient, if a bit over-emotional at times. I can teach you things that few people in this world will ever even begin to learn. I have seen your talents and know that you can learn if you so choose."

"I have nothing else to do, so what the heck?" she told him with a wry smile. A small smile turned up the corners of the man's mouth at her words.


	10. A Dark New Life

**A/N: I'm back, finally. I'm trying to get this story done and I've finally got the rest of it mapped out for the most part. My sudden obsession with Harry Potter has come back again with the nearing release of the final movie. I fully intend to dress up and shall be going as Jessica in her Death Eater form. I'm pretty excited. Lol! I'm post a link on my front page later so you can see exactly what the costume will look like. **

Jessica hit the ground at a dead run, racing toward the crowd in the center of the field. She had been practicing the flight technique Severus had taught her when she'd felt the shock waves running through her blood. She'd only experienced something like this once before, on the day her brother had nearly died on holiday.

She shoved her way to the center of the crowd. Shivers ran down her spine as her father wailed. It couldn't be . . . Not Cedric. On the ground was her brother, his eyes staring up, unseeing, unblinking. Dead. Jessica felt as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water into her veins. She froze, torn between grief and rage. Someone had murdered her brother, the brother who would never know her again.

"Let's go, Jessica," Severus murmured, pulling his young student away from the sight of her brother's dead body. The pair of them fled the field, flying over the grounds once out of the sight of the crowd.

"He's dead," Jessica whispered numbly as Severus escorted her into his office. She sank down into the chair she'd taken to calling "hers." A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, each vying for dominance. She didn't understand how her brother could have died. The Tournament was supposed to be a safe competition. No one was supposed to die.

"Voldemort has returned," Severus informed her. That got the girl's attention.

"What?"

Her mentor rolled up his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark emblazoned on his forearm. It was writhing about, a sure sign that the Dark Lord had summoned his followers.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, staring as if hypnotized at the Dark Mark. Early in her training, Severus had told Jessica exactly who he had been during the last War. Now Voldemort was back, and he was summoning his followers.

"I intend to present myself to the Dark Lord, offering my services as a spy within Hogwarts. That was my role before he fell, and, if my skills have not dulled with age, it shall be my role again," he answered.

"May I come?"

The question startled Severus, even though it was something he'd hoped she would say.

"Come where?" he asked slowly, pretending not to know exactly what his student was thinking. Jessica needed to tell him exactly what she wanted before he would make any assumptions.

"Can I go with you to the Dark Lord? I want to help you in any way I can," Jessica told him bluntly.

"You do realize that it is not simply a matter of showing up and signing up?" he countered.

"Of course, I would be disappointed if it were that easy," the young woman retorted as the numbness inside her gradually turned to a form of controlled anger that burned within her, fueling her plans. With or without Severus' approval, she would infiltrate the Death Eater ranks and destroy the Dark Lord's army from within. Severus would make the entrance much smoother and simpler.

The pair regarded one another for a long moment. The dark-haired man was not sure if he wanted to risk the life of the wonderful girl he'd come to love as dearly as a daughter. To place her within Voldemort's reach was to place her on a knife's edge, but to keep her away from him would be almost impossible.

The fire flared briefly in the hearth as Dumbledore stepped through.

"You should be on your way quickly, Severus," the old wizard advised softly. The pair knew what he meant without asking.

"I will return for you, Jessica," Severus said, gently pressing the girl back into the chair as she started to follow him. "I must greet the Dark Lord and ensure that I am in his good graces before bringing you before him."

Jessica reached out and gave her mentor's wrist a gentle squeeze, the only physical sign of endearment the pair had. It was her way of telling him to be careful. He returned the gesture before exiting the room through the Floo network.

"I had best brief you on the Castle's network if you are to join Severus in the ranks of the Death Eaters," Dumbledore observed after the other man had vanished from sight. "It seems the Order needs to be revived."

* * *

Only a few days after Cedric's funeral, Jessica was being escorted through the dark halls of an unfamiliar building by Severus. The pair wore dark cloaks and had come under the cover of darkness. Strangely, the girl felt completely calm, utterly comfortable with her ability to hide what thoughts she wished in order to become a valuable spy within the Dark Lord's army. The other skills Severus had given her would prove useful in convincing Voldemort to allow her entrance to his inner circle.

The pair entered a large room, empty of furniture save for one armchair placed before a large, cold fireplace. Seated in the chair was the pale form of a man, cloaked entirely in black, his face serpentine in appearance. Severus dropped to one knee when they were only two arm lengths from the chair. Jessica followed suit, kneeling just behind and to the left of her mentor.

"This is the new recruit you promised me, Severus?" the man hissed. He was not angry, Jessica sensed that immediately. No, he was amused by the sight before him. It showed in his voice.

"I must say, I am disappointed," the Dark Lord continued, "I had hoped for someone of greater power."

"She is more powerful than many believe, my lord," Severus ventured. "I trained her as you trained me. Her skills are even greater than mine in many aspects."

Jessica kept her head bowed as she felt a contact with her mind's outer defenses. The mental touch could only belong to the Dark Lord as it felt utterly inhuman. As Severus had told her to do, Jessica lowered her mental shields, allowing Voldemort entrance into her mind. She had nothing to fear at this point. Severus had taught her everything he knew about concealing memories while giving the appearance of complete openness. It was a skill that had brought him back into the good graces of the Dark Lord, and he had taught her so well that he could find nothing unless she wished it.

It took all of the young woman's will power not to slam her shields down on the intrusive mental touch. The Dark Lord's touch was harsh and violent, roughly pushing through memories and thoughts without regard for the pain he was causing the mind's owner. Though, Jessica supposed, he was likely to purposely cause the pain to make a weaker person's hidden thoughts and memories fall out into the open. Severus had impressed upon her the necessity of not underestimating the Dark Lord. Voldemort could, if he so chose, slip into her mind with no real indication he was there.

Jessica resisted the urge to sigh with relief as the rough mental touch withdrew. To do so would be to admit the Dark Lord bothered her.

"So she is, Severus," the Dark Lord murmured. "Come to me, girl."

Jessica rose and drew closer to Voldemort. He held out one hand dispassionately. Without hesitation, Jessica placed her left hand, palm side up, in his. With a flick of his wand Voldemort rolled her sleeve out of the way.

"Swear to me your loyalty and deliver upon your oath, for if you do not, you will not live long enough to regret it," Voldemort hissed, gripping Jessica's wrist tightly.

"I swear my loyalty to you," Jessica intoned firmly. She shut her eyes at the sudden pain as the Dark Lord dug his wand tip into her forearm. All sounds of discomfort were quickly bit back as the Dark Mark was etched slowly into her forearm.

"Welcome, Jessica," Voldemort said with a smirk. He released her arm and waved his two Death Eaters out of the room.

Severus escorted Jessica back to his home where she was staying. Once safely within, he cast a soothing spell on his charge's arm to ease the lingering pain he knew the Dark Lord would have left. Jessica gave him a small smile in thanks before sinking down in a chair and falling asleep. The experience had been a draining one in every way; Severus knew this from personal experience.

With a soft sigh he drew a blanket over the unconscious girl and exited the room. Today's events had been only the first step.


End file.
